NXP and Rimac Team Up on Centralized Vehicle Architecture for Advanced Domain and Zonal Control

NXP Semiconductors and Rimac Technology Team Up to Drive Software-Defined Vehicle Architectures

EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands, June 12, 2025 – NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ: NXPI), a global leader in automotive processing, is joining forces with Rimac Technology, a prominent supplier in the high-performance control systems space, to accelerate the adoption of centralized architectures for software-defined vehicles (SDVs). This collaboration will see Rimac leverage NXP’s S32E2 processors, a key component of NXP’s comprehensive S32 Automotive Processing Platform, in its next-generation electronic control unit (ECU) platform.

The shift towards SDVs necessitates advanced real-time processing capabilities. NXP’s S32E2 processors, designed for the demands of modern and future automotive applications, deliver just that. The jointly developed solution allows for consolidation, potentially reducing the number of ECUs from over 20 to just three centralized units. This streamlined approach significantly improves application integration safety and efficiency, paving the way for agile development for vehicle applications such as vehicle dynamics, charging control, energy management, and body electronics.

The S32E2 series, housing eight Arm^® Cortex^®-R52 processor cores running at up to 1 GHz, is no slouch either. With high-resolution analog-to-digital converters and the capability of supporting up to 64MB of non-volatile memory, this real-time processor is set to be at the forefront of the SDV revolution.
Explaining NXP’s game plan, Ray Cornyn, SVP and General Manager, Automotive Processors at NXP, stated, “OEMs and tier 1s have been stuck between a rock and a hard place, having to consolidate multiple applications within legacy microcontrollers or deploying excessive redundant computing power. NXP’s platform allows developers to quickly deploy features for applications requiring real-time capability. The S32E2 enables the integration of numerous applications within a system that is easy to debug, where task isolation and determinism are inherent.”

Ana Martinčić Špoljarić, Business Unit Director for Powertrain and Electronics at Rimac Technology, highlighted the benefits of the collaboration from an implementation point of view, “The growing complexity of vehicle systems requires a solution that decreases weight, manages power consumption, and simplifies software integration. With NXP’s S32E2 real-time processors, we found the ideal solution that allows us to integrate several units into a single domain controller, reducing complexity and material costs for automotive OEMs while significantly increasing computational power.”

The S32E2 offers the security needed for current and upcoming SDVs by delivering highly performant processing, meeting the ISO 26262 ASIL D safety standards. The integration of the high-end Hardware Security Engine secures boot functions and manages keys.
Rimac Technology plans to initially implement this new ECU platform in a hypercar program, with a strategic focus on expanding its application across diverse vehicle segments and also in alternative mobility sectors.

**System Solutions**
The S32E2 expands NXP’s extensive S32 automotive processing platform, effectively sitting between the recently introduced S32K5 microcontroller family and the S32N real-time super-integration processors.
Combining NXP’s advanced networking and system power management solutions along with middleware, OSes, and software from prominent automotive software providers under the NXP CoreRide platform, it promises to help automakers break down hurdles to integration, and, at the same time, scale the development of new architectures in SDVs.

**S32E2 System Support**
To expedite customer designs, NXP offers comprehensive system support for the S32E2 processors. These include the FS86 ASIL D safety system basis chip (SBC) and the PF5030 power management IC (PMIC), with enhanced safety features. Further support comes in the form of Ethernet switches and PHYs and CAN transceivers alongside analog companion chips such as the GD3160 IGBT/SiC high-voltage inverter gate driver and the MC3377x battery cell controllers.

**About NXP Semiconductors**
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) is a long-standing partner of innovative solutions in automotive, industrial & IoT, mobile, and communications infrastructure markets. NXP’s “Brighter Together” approach blends the forefront of technology with people to develop interconnected systems. The company operates in over 30 countries, generating revenues of $12.61 billion in 2024.